Nicole Allen Advocates for Open Educational Resources

At the Distance Teaching & Learning Conference, Nicole Allen will address the issue of overpriced textbooks.

between 2003 and 2013. The editorial praises recent efforts to develop degree programs that use online, open-source materials instead of expensive printed books.

“By integrating open-source materials into their curriculums, colleges would make learning better and cheaper at the same time,” the Post argues.

Nicole Allen will make a similar argument at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Distance Teaching & Learning Conference, the forward-looking event for college faculty and administrators, instructional designers, researchers, K-12 teachers, and corporate and military trainers on Aug. 9-11. Allen, the director of open education for the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), will speak on “Learning Is Open: The Potential for Open Educational Resources and the Revolution in Online Education.” She’ll share strategies for creating and sharing open educational resources and integrating them into courses.

ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY

Open educational resources (OERs) are freely accessible, openly licensed materials that educators can adapt to their own purposes. They include streaming videos, tests, software, and others tools in the public domain.

Allen is a leading voice in the movement for open education. At SPARC, she works to influence public policy and engage the library community on issues of educational access and affordability.

The Distance Teaching & Learning Conference has helped educators stay on top of emerging technologies for more than 30 years. It provides up-to-date research, along with practical tips for translating research into practice. Attendees network with colleagues, learn evidence-based strategies from experts in the field, and come away with techniques that improve outcomes for learners.

To learn more about the Distance Teaching & Learning Conference or to register, see here.